


by my side

by InfiniteWoonique



Series: Riding the Baby Train [15]
Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Comfort, Cute, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Family, Family Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Mpreg, Parenthood, Pregnant Yoo Kihyun, Surprise Party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2020-07-23 00:30:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20001007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InfiniteWoonique/pseuds/InfiniteWoonique
Summary: It's Kihyun's birthday and Minhyuk and his children are planning a surprise party





	by my side

**Author's Note:**

> I hope this was as cute as I made it out to be because it's all for you, lovely love! I know life is hard right now but just know that I will never stop trying to make you smile and that I am here for you <3 You mean so much to me and I just want to see you happy. I love you lots and I hope that this was everything you wanted in a domestic bliss kind of story. You deserve it!

"Bigger!" Taewoon demanded of Minhyuk, waving his arms to impressive sizes in an indication that he blow the balloon up as big as possible and larger than he already had it, "It needs to be bigger!" 

Minhyuk removed the rubber lip of the balloon from his mouth and chuckled as he tied the end before letting it fall to the floor, bouncing among the sea of neon and primary colors. Other balloons, "If I blow it any bigger it will pop in my mouth, and I would like it if I went the whole day without choking on balloon pieces," Minhyuk reminded as he grabbed yet another deflated balloon by the neck before stretching it in preparation to blow it full of air, "And I would like it if you didn't try to blow them beyond capacity because I won't," he scoffed as he witnessed his five-year-old son attempt to do what he didn't want him to do. And if Taewoon did it, his three-year-old sister was sure to follow. Taemi looked up to her big brother plenty and often mirrored his actions, which was hell for both Kihyun and Minhyuk. It meant double the trouble and the same issue to deal with twice as he and Kihyun attempted to teach a lesson to different ages and mindsets. 

Taewoon huffed and crossed his arms over his chest to which Taemi pouted and hopped up. She never liked it when Taewoon was upset and so she did her best to cheer him up, getting right up in her brother's face to attempt and place a kiss on his nose that was a perfect replica of Kihyun's. In fact, both of their children looked just like Kihyun and even inherited the glare their mother procured when he was upset or disagreeing with something. Taewoon was glaring but he couldn't hold it long as Taemi placed sloppy kisses everywhere but his nose since she couldn't reach him, leading him to laugh and push his sister away softly, "Taemi!" he squealed, egging her onto her next actions as she wrapped her arms around her big brother and hugged him tightly. They both laughed and fell back onto the carpet, knocking the balloons to the side and luckily not popping any. 

Minhyuk watched in joy as his children played together and he was so thankful they were best friends. It was so easy for them to get along and they never grew bored with the other. A proud father he was, "Alright, kiddies, we have a few more balloons to blow up. What should we work on next?" he asked, knowing there was a lot on his list to do still. A party required a lot of planning and coordination, especially one as elaborate as this one. 

"Birthday pictures!" Taemi yelled as she hopped off of her big brother to go and grab the many pictures the two drew and the few cards they wrote for Kihyun that they were going to tape everywhere around the house, not just limited to the 'party area'. And when Minhyuk says wrote, he means he wrote them. Taewoon knew how to write some, but he had needed plenty of help from Minhyuk still, "Mommy needs all of his birthday pictures to feel happy and better!" 

"Oh yes! Please grab those and Taewoonie can help you," he sent a look towards his son but he didn't even have to convince the boy before he was hopping up too and following his sister to grab the drawings. The room was close by so they were still within earshot and he could hear Taemi singing the birthday song happily, "I'll grab the tape and then when we're done with that we can work on the chocolate fountain and piñata," he heard cheers and squeals of excitement because that was really what they were waiting for. Besides the cake which was currently baking in their oven. 

And it was almost like Taewoon had read his mind because once he walked back into the living room with Taemi in tow and plenty of paper in their arms, the first thing out of his mouth was, "When is the cake done? We need to put frosting on it!" he spoke in a tone that was as though Minhyuk didn't know. He was so much like Kihyun that it hurt sometimes. 

"I know, little man. Another five minutes and I'll take it out, but we have to let it cool or the frosting will melt and we don't want that. We don't want it all sticky." 

"We want sprinkles!" Taemi shouted to feel included. It was a bit too loud and in doing so she startled Taewoon, "Pink and blue and yellow!" she was bouncing over to Minhyuk and plopped into his lap where he was sitting on the ground. She knocked some wind out of him but Minhyuk was quick to recoup and gain his breath back. It happened a lot since Taemi wasn't always the most careful, it was Daddy instincts, "Mommy likes sprinkles, he always puts them on my ice cream."

"Does that mean he likes sprinkles then?" Minhyuk chuckled as he grabbed the drawings and cards from her hands and neatly placed them next to him. To Taemi, if she liked something, then everyone liked that something too. Taewoon thought similarly, and that is why they were planning the party the way they were. Because if they like that kind of stuff then everyone likes that kind of stuff. 

"Yes!" Taemi shouted, bouncing more as she grabbed a balloon and tossed it in the air, "He likes all sprinkles!" Minhyuk laughed and turned to place a kiss on her braided hair, ends of her pigtails tickling his neck. 

"Okay little lady, I'll make sure we put the sprinkles on, but we have a lot to do before that, too. And I need your help, can you help me?" he asked as he moved to blow up the second to last balloon. He was losing breath and it hadn't helped that Taemi was sitting deep into his torso and limiting breath support. 

"Yes, Daddy!" she screeched, catching Minhyuk off guard enough that the balloon slipped from his lips and flew away from him and Taemi. All three laughed as they watched the balloon fly around the room, his children's laughs inspiring his loud and deep belly laugh. Taewoon chased after the balloon and failed miserably in doing so. Taemi cuddled into Minhyuk's chest and wrapped her arms around his neck as she laughed into his cheek, her own chubby cheeks giving her the prettiest eye smile that belonged solely to Minhyuk. He never saw that eye smile for anyone besides him. 

All of these unnecessary and superfluous attempts at this birthday party were all for Kihyun because he was worth it. This whole ordeal was a surprise party planned by Taewoon and Taemi who were, if you need reminding, five and three years old. Minhyuk believed that any of his attempts at a surprise party would be too adult and not as exciting, but having a surprise party planned exclusively by your children has a special ring to it and that was something that Kihyun would absolutely love and adore. Minhyuk also believed that any of his attempts would not hit as hard as his children's, especially with how much Kihyun has been going through to healthily grow their next child. 

Kihyun was fifteen weeks pregnant with their next, and ultimately last, child. The married couple both had thought there was a missing space in their family of four and so both had agreed that one more pair of little feet in the house was what they needed. And a little over a month later, much faster than they anticipated, Kihyun was pregnant again and both were ecstatic, including their kids. Kihyun's past pregnancies had been so easy and so everyone and their dog expected this one to be the same, but this one was a nightmare. Kihyun was sick constantly and tired all the time, and the mood swings had him feeling down more often than not, leaving him without a smile when he wasn't with his children or husband. Kihyun was going through a lot for their third child and Minhyuk couldn't do anything about it until he involved their children. This party was planned with the intention to cheer Kihyun up even for one evening. He needed something like this.

So Minhyuk sought out his son and daughter's advice. And in kid fashion, they went for the whole shebang. They planned everything down to the T, a ridiculous party with a chocolate fountain and selection of treats, a piñata full of candy, tons of balloons and streamers, including games such as pin the tail on the donkey, musical chairs, and Duck, Duck, Goose! A kids party, but for Kihyun and he was going to love it for sure. The kids loved it just as much too because, through this process, their opinions truly felt valued. 

But it didn't just stop at party planning. Minhyuk had called off work entirely for the day but had not told Kihyun he was doing so. This morning when he sent Kihyun off to work, he had wished him a happy birthday and a kiss goodbye with the promise that they would do something for the night. Minhyuk always left for work after Kihyun and always dropped the kids off at school, which was perfect for today. After leaving his kids behind in their classrooms, he had spent the first half of the day cleaning. Scrubbing the bathrooms from top to bottom, doing all the dishes, taking out all the trash, sweeping and mopping when necessary, and vacuumed all the carpets. He had cleaned the house and had switched tactics once he had picked Taewoon and Taemi up from morning preschool. Minhyuk was always the one who took Taewoon and Taemi to preschool and it was always his mother who picked them up at noon, but by the time he had finished cleaning it was time to pick them up. He had called his mother to tell her the plan and picked his own children up to drive them to the supermarket so they could point out exactly what they wanted at the party. 

Minhyuk, Taemi, and Taewoon had made a list of what they wanted at the party a few days prior when Kihyun was sleeping off a migraine. It had been very enthusiastic planning while they were also keeping quiet since Kihyun was trying to recover from his head pains, but Minhyuk could pinpoint all the excitement in his children's expressions. Planning their own party for their mother was such a prospect and even Minhyuk thought it was fantastic and such a good idea. 

While at it with all the supplies shopping, Minhyuk asked his children to pick out birthday presents for Kihyun with the restrictions on buying him toys. Kihyun had no need for toys being a thirty-year-old adult but that didn't mean Taemi didn't try and fight that. Anything else was free game though. So Taewoon and Taemi both grabbed Kihyun candy that he had been eating a lot of and even though it was his 'craving candy', Kihyun never failed to share plenty with his children. Another odd thing that Kihyun was going through was chronically cold feet and so the kids picked out fuzzy socks just for him. Taemi chose some patterned with teddy bears while Taewoon chose tiny ducks and even when they were socks, that did not stop the brother and sister from playing with each other with socks. In their little game, Taemi was chasing after Taewoon on the pretense that the ducks had stolen her teddy's bread. Mommy Bear had worked hard to bake that bread and Teddy needed it back. The whole storyline of their little game was enticing and Minhyuk would have to tell Kihyun later how creative their children were. 

After all the supplies were placed in the basket and everything was paid for at the supermarket, Minhyuk drove to the jewelry boutique that was closeby in town, a cute little establishment that was family-owned and had a reputation of providing great customer service. Minhyuk had made arrangements weeks prior to get a bracelet designed just for Kihyun and the product was finished just the day before. Today was the day to check it out and pick it up, and Taewoon and Taemi were a part of the jewelry as well. 

Taewoon was born in May and Taemi was born in September and to relate this bracelet to them, Minhyuk incorporated their children's birthstones. The bracelet was silver and thin, chain-linked and simple. Diamonds were encrusted in the metal but not in a way that it was too flashy, just enough to give it an appealing sparkle. By the clasp of the bracelet sat a single emerald and a single sapphire, birthstones for the months of May and September respectively. It was elegantly simple and just Kihyun's style and Minhyuk was sure he was going to love it. The chain matched their wedding rings perfectly and Minhyuk thought he must have done something very special in a past life for him to get so lucky and match their reminders of commitment. Rings they were going to wear the rest of their lives and even in death. Hopefully, Kihyun would treat his bracelet the same way. 

Once picked up, all Taewoon and Taemi wanted to do was to play with the box and the bracelet but Minhyuk refrained from caving and letting his children touch the delicate metal. He was going to leave it untouched for Kihyun to open, even if that meant saying no to Taewoon's puppy dog eyes. 

It all led them to where they were now at home, decorating every inch of their connected dining room and kitchen in an attempt to keep the mess contained since Minhyuk had cleaned everything up beforehand. The only exception of the party decorations were the drawings in which they were going to post everywhere they could in the house. Kihyun was going to be finding happy messages and cute drawings for days due to how they were going to hide them everywhere. It would cheer him up, that was for sure. 

"Mommy is going to be so happy about all of this, and he has you to thank," Minhyuk addressed his children with a wide and toothy smile as he tied the piñata to the end of their kitchen broomstick. He had already set up the other games they would be playing, "Do you think he'll cry?" he knew that the slightly younger would, but asking his children's opinions was important. And sometimes, a child's answer can be pretty entertaining. 

His son did not disappoint, "No! Mommy can't cry!" Taewoon screeched with a scandalized look on his face, "There's no crying on his birthday! That's not allowed!" he stated matter of factly as he haphazardly tossed some drawings onto the ground and pulled tape from the dispenser to attach the paper to the back of a dining room chair. It was his seat and Minhyuk noticed how he had already attached two other drawings to it. He would have to move them later. 

"He can cry happy tears though," Minhyuk reminded as he started to spread loose confetti onto their dining room table. He had plates set up already in preparation for the cake. Kihyun was a big fan of desserts this pregnancy and he would always eat something sweet before each meal. Minhyuk knew that cake first would be his husband's request and he was willing to indulge in that, but just today since it was his birthday, "Happy tears will mean that he really likes it."

"But I don't want mommy to cry," Taemi interjected as she climbed onto her seat at the table, having just graduated from a booster seat, "We have to make him smile and keep him happy. Only a happy mommy."

"I like a happy mommy, too," Minhyuk informed right before the timer to the oven started beeping, indicating that the cake was done. Taemi and Taewoon immediately hopped off of the couch where they were sitting and bounded over to the kitchen, bounces in their steps and screams of delight echoing in the room. Minhyuk laughed and moved as fast as he could to the oven and prepping his lesson for his kids again. They had to let the cake cool before they could make it exciting, patience was priceless. 

It was half an hour later when Kihyun was scheduled to come home and that had left the family plenty of time to put everything up and tie any loose ends. The cake had been frosted and decorated with a decent amount of sprinkles and was now sitting in the cake stand with the cloche placed on top to protect it from tiny fingers. Minhyuk had helped Taewoon and Taemi spell out 'Happy Birthday' and it was in messy, pastel colors that were far too cute to scrutinize. 

The sound of the garage door opening and closing could be heard throughout the entire house, and while Minhyuk was making sure that the last of the drawings were hidden among their small house, the familiar sound of the gears pulling the garage door overhead kicking everyone into action. Minhyuk ran into the kitchen and turned the light off and grabbed his children, hiding them behind the table in the dining room. They weren't terribly concealed, but it would take a second for Kihyun to even notice that there were people there. Being as tall as he was, Minhyuk hid behind the wall that rested against one side of their fridge. 

Both Taewoon and Taemi were giggling from their spot behind the table and Minhyuk would have to shush them interlaced with giggles of his own. His children were adorable and his heart was singing for them, wanting nothing more than to grab them and squeeze them into a hug, but he was hearing the doorknob jiggling and Kihyun would be in within seconds. 

Kihyun opened the kitchen door and stepped inside, a puzzled, "Hello?" sounding through the house. It was quiet for maybe a second before Minhyuk almost started giggling himself as his two children started to giggle and hide their smiles behind their small hands. Kihyun quickly turned the light on to try and figure out what was going on and this was the moment everyone was waiting for. 

Taewoon and Taemi, both given the permission by the kitchen light, jumped out from behind their spots at the table and raised their arms as they stretched as large as possible. An enthusiastic and simultaneous, "Surprise!" reaching Kihyun's ears and he was honestly startled by the noise level, a hand going to rest on his chest and over his heart. He didn't have much time to process what was happening before his son and daughter were running over and hugging his legs, squeals of joy filling the room. Minhyuk removed himself from his hiding spot and had failed to shout surprise due to how much he was laughing. 

"Happy Birthday, Mommy!" Taewoon shouted as he looked up to his mother, chin resting on the slight bump that was forming under his sweater. One would think he wasn't pregnant at all until his clothing fell perfectly over his midsection. The baby was the size of an orange at this point, so they were still small, but large enough to make an appearance. One of Taewoon's favorite things to do was to touch and pat Kihyun's bump and say hello to his 'sister', as he predicted it to be. 

"We made you cake!" Taemi contributed helpfully, "Come on!" she started to drag Kihyun over by holding onto the belt loop of his slacks. He had no use of a belt now when he was filling his bottoms out more with the baby weight, "Come blow out the candles!" even though there were no candles to blow out yet. 

"Wait, wait!" Minhyuk stopped his daughter from dragging Kihyun further away, "Let me say hello to Mommy before we do birthday stuff," whines from both children ensued but they allowed their father to greet Kihyun properly. 

"Hi," he snickered as he brought Kihyun's face closer by holding his cheeks and placing a gentle kiss on his lips. It was more a smile pressed to another smile as Kihyun finally finished processing what was going on, "Happy Birthday, Love." 

"Hello," Kihyun greeted as he reached up to hold onto Minhyuk's hands with his own and move them lower so they were resting on his hips. His nose scrunched in that smile that required his whole face to move, small laughs leaving his lips as their children danced around their feet. Minhyuk moved his thumbs across Kihyun's middle, feeling the soft beginnings of the swell of their baby, "When did you find the time to do all of this?" he asked as he pulled away to get a good look around the dining area and kitchen, peering closer to examine a drawing that was taped to the counter. He was trying to figure out whether it was a tree or a giraffe. 

"I stayed home," Minhyuk answered and Kihyun whipped his head up to deliver a shocked expression that melted into a smile because his husband was taking a sick day for him and that meant a lot to him, "I had a lot to do," he affirmed, "I had to make this day special."

Taewoon and Taemi continued to drag and pull Kihyun towards the table where the cake still sat on the cake stand, impatient and ready to eat the dessert so they could get to the games, "I feel special every day, not just on my birthday," he mused before Taewoon gave a good push from behind that jolted him foreword further, "With you by my side."

Like Minhyuk's prediction, Kihyun wanted to start with the cake so he could satiate the sweet tooth he had. Once he was sat down and Taemi and Taewoon were beside him, Minhyuk reminded everyone of the most important part of the party, "But we have presents for Mommy first. Why doesn't he open them before we have cake?" 

Taewoon cooed and reached over to grab his present and Taemi grabbed hers as they handed them to Kihyun. He grabbed them both and opened them separately, happy smiles following when he found his favorite chocolates and candies. He hadn't even waited before ripping open the bag and even handing his children some to share. So selfless and thoughtful himself. 

"Now I have a present for Mommy," Minhyuk announced with his toothy smile as he pulled the box from the opposite end of the table. Taemi and Taewoon bounced in excitement in their seats as Minhyuk stepped closer, handing the box over. He was hoping that the kids would keep the contents a secret so Kihyun could find out for himself, "Happy Birthday," he mused happily as he placed a kiss on Kihyun's forehead. The smell of his fringe was so sweet and purely his husband. It was so comforting. 

Kihyun tilted his head in curiosity before starting to open the gift. With each layer shed, Kihyun's expression growing more confused and intrigued until he finally got to the bracelet itself. And once the metal of the chain came into view, a soft gasp and plenty of smiles ensued as he picked it from the encasing and examined the details, "Their birthstones," he spoke softly, examining how the gems sparkled in the dining room light. He touched them lightly with his fingertips and was so impressed by the quality. 

"We can add the new baby's birthstone once they get here," Minhyuk added as he stooped over Kihyun and hugged him from behind, hand smoothing over Kihyun's small bump. The baby's due date was at an awkward time and it could be either the beginning of one month or the end of another, and there were always the chances that the baby was born a month early. It was safe to wait until the baby was actually here before making that called, "Do you like it?" 

Kihyun kept quiet at first but eventually nodded, "I love it," before moving to put the bracelet on and before he could get that far, Minhyuk was taking the bracelet from the younger and putting it on for him, making sure the clasp was secure before letting go and admiring the way the jewelry glinted and shined. It was really pretty and he was mentally patting himself on the back for getting it. 

"Thank you so much," Kihyun smiled, pulling Minhyuk closer by the neck to give him a long and deserving kiss for being so sweet and going through all this effort for him. Minhyuk truly didn't have to do any of this for Kihyun yet he chose to and all of his actions were also paired with kind words and sentiment. Kihyun felt immensely special and it was so nice to feel so. The parted when Taemi started to grow impatient and requested they light the candles so they could blow them out. 

It took a few seconds since Kihyun and Minhyuk were reveling in each other's company, but finally they parted and Minhyuk moved to grab the lighter to light the candles. There were smiles all around the room and there was such pure bliss that it radiated an aura of family and love. Thi birthday party was going better than Minhyuk had planned. 

The candles that were stuck into the cake were lit and both Minhyuk and Kihyun had to organize Taewoon and Taemi to start singing the birthday song. Taemi sang way too loud and Taewoon tried to sing the tempo faster to get the song over with faster, but with all of these imperfections and interruptions of the birthday song dedicated to his husband, Minhyuk found it all so stupidly endearing. 

Watching the flames illuminate his husband's face, Minhyuk realized that Kihyun had not stopped smiling once since he got over the initial shock of being screeched at by his children. His lips were always curved and his teeth were constantly on display for his family to see. Kihyun loved his husband and children to death and the fact that they were doing something so thoughtful was getting to him and his overactive pregnancy hormones. He hadn't meant to, but he started to cry. 

When it was time to blow out the candles, Minhyuk had needed to keep Taewoon and Taemi back so they didn't blow the candles out when they were Kihyun's to blow out. To their credit, Kihyun was taking too long to blow the candles out due to him attempting to catch his breath enough to blow. When the flames did go out, Taemi took this as his chance to speak up. 

"What did you wish for, Mommy?!" Taemi squealed as she bounced up and down in her seat. Kihyun was waving away the smoke from the candles so his baby's lungs didn't have to suffer and throw them into coughing fits, "What did you wish for?!" 

Minhyuk shushed her gently in an attempt at damage control, not wanting her to get too overwhelmed and yell more at Kihyun since he was obviously going through the emotions right now. He looked back up to sneak a glance at Kihyun and was surprised to see his eyes full of unshed tears and for a second he thought that maybe he was upset and his idea had failed, but a large smile spread when the tears started to roll down his cheeks and he used a hand to wipe them away, "Thank you so much," he choked out, too caught up in maintaining his breath to annunciate, "This has all been so fantastic and I'm so lucky to be your husband," he addressed Minhyuk, "And your mommy," he addressed Taemi and Taewoon next, finally dropping his head so he didn't have to be seen as much, hand in his lap moving to rest on his baby bump. It was for a sense of comfort as he bawled his eyes out. 

He didn't have to deal with his emotions alone and Taemi recognized this. She wiggled out of her seat and crawled into Kihyun's lap, careful of his baby bump and using her small size to fit against his torso and lap. She then used her small and chubby hands to wipe away the tears that were streaming, "Don't be sad, Mommy," she cooed, leaning down to place a kiss on the top of his nose. 

"Mommy is not sad, he's just very happy," Minhyuk assured as he watched Taewoon move next. Since Kihyun's lap was occupied, he settled for hugging Kihyun's knees tight and planting him in place for sure, nowhere to run when stuck like this. His head was resting right on Taemi's lower back, "Isn't he?" Minhyuk asked next as he maneuvered Taewoon so he was less likely to hurt himself where he was. 

All Kihyun could do was nod and it had Minhyuk's heart singing once more. Feeling like he was being left out of this group cuddle, Minhyuk moved back to where he was previously standing behind Kihyun's chair and wrapped his arms around the younger's neck gently, also wrapping his arms around Taemi's upper body. He rested his chin on Kihyun's shoulder and placed kisses along the pale skin of his neck in patterns. 

"I love you," Minhyuk uttered and instead of receiving a verbal answer from Kihyun like he had been expecting, he received a very loud yell from Taewoon saying that he loved Minhyuk too, causing more laughs to happen. Kihyun was laughing again and this time he was going to properly thank his husband and children for such an amazing birthday surprise. 

"I can't say it enough but thank you so much," Kihyun spoke past the tears as he hugged every member of his family close, pondering in their existence and proximity, "This was the best birthday ever. I'm so happy."

And honestly, that was Minhyuk's goal this entire time. To make Kihyun and to make his life a little easier on this birthday. And now he had cake, party games, and all those drawings to look forward to, hopefully making 'Happy Kihyun' stay for a bit longer. His husband was better and he wanted him to stay this way his entire life, but he could settle by taking it a day at a time because Kihyun was worth it. 

**Author's Note:**

> title inspired by Monsta X's By My Side


End file.
